“With over 2,000 people a year across the UK requiring a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, it is important that more people are encouraged to register as potential stem cell donors. To this end, the joint action of Anthony Nolan and the NHS to increase the number of registered donors is vital.

Since 2015 the Government has allocated more than £20 million for both Anthony Nolan and NHS Blood and Transplant to enable them to improve provision of stem cells for patients requiring a transplant. This continued public funding has enabled the establishment of a unified stem cell registry for the UK - the Anthony Nolan and NHS Stem Cell Registry - streamlining the provision of stem cells for transplant.

As of 2017, the number of people registered as a potential donor across the UK stood at more than 1.4 million, almost double the 770,000 registered in 2010. This is significant progress but I also recognise the importance of registering more donors from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds in order to improve equity of access to the provision of stem cells for all patients. Since the Registry's creation in 2013, the number of BAME registered donors has more than doubled from 67,800 to 137,100. This increase includes 23,500 more Black donors and 32,500 more Asian donors.

In 2016, NHS Blood and Transplant began a partnership with Team Margot and launched a Golden Ticket campaign. This project involved the circulation of 35,000 Golden Tickets to existing BAME and mixed-race donors to encourage them to sign on to the stem cell donor register. I am confident that awareness campaigns such as this will continue to increase the number of registered stem cell donors from BAME backgrounds going forwards.”

“During the past ten years, the Government has worked closely with relevant stakeholders to reform the UK’s pensions sector.

Through automatic enrolment, almost 10 million people have started saving or are saving more into a workplace pension scheme. According to the latest statistics, the total membership of workplace pension schemes is now at a record high of 41.1 million in 2017, up nearly 50 per cent since 2012. Pension freedoms have given people much greater choice about when and how they use their pension savings.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has a significant programme of work ahead to increase confidence in workplace pensions. This includes assisting industry in delivering a Pensions Dashboard which will offer people the opportunity to assess their pensions in a clear and simple form.

The Government will also protect pension savers and personal information by legislating where necessary. This will build on the ‘Check your State Pension’ online service for the State Pension.”

More information about the pensions dashhboard campaign can be found here

In response to the recent campaign on supporting pubs and help cut beer duty, David said:

“Pubs make an important contribution to our local communities, which the Government is supporting this through the taxation system.

As announced at the 2017 Autumn Budget, tax on beer, cider, wine and spirits have again be frozen. This follows the removal of the beer duty escalator in 2013 and the unprecedented cuts and freezes in beer duty since then, as well as the removal of the duty escalator for spirits, wine and cider in 2014.

When the beer duty escalator was removed in 2013, duty was simultaneously cut by 1p. This was followed by further 1p cuts in both 2014 and 2015, and a freeze in 2016. I am pleased that the Government was able to deliver this, in order to support the brewing industry and local pubs.

Spirit duty was also frozen when the duty escalator was removed in 2014. The spirits industry was then given a further boost when spirit duty was cut by 2 per cent in 2015, and then frozen again in 2016. This was done to support the continued success of our great British spirits producers.

That same year, cider duty was also frozen. The cider industry was then given a further boost when duty for ordinary cider was cut by 2 per cent in 2015, and then frozen again in 2016. This was in recognition of the important contribution cider producers make too many local economies, especially in rural areas.

The removal of the wine duty escalator meant that in 2014 wine duty rose only by RPI inflation, 2 per cent lower than the previous planned rise. Wine duty was then frozen in 2015, to support the UK's growing wine industry.

A £1,000 discount on business rate bills is being applied in both 2017-18 and 2018-19 for all pubs with a rateable value lower than £100,000. This applies to 90 per cent of pubs and is in recognition of the valuable role they play in our communities.

The Government is continuing to look at ways to improve the system of alcohol taxation, to ensure it helps to tackle binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and important local industries.”

“Shale development has the potential to deliver substantial economic benefits to the UK economy and for local communities where supplies are located. I am glad that the Government remains committed to protecting the environment and ensuring that shale exploration happens safely.

A consultation has been launched to consider whether the early stages of shale exploration should be treated as permitted development, and in particular the circumstances where this might be appropriate. This would allow early exploratory work to proceed without requiring planning applications, although planning applications would still be required for fracking.

Other measures include strengthening community engagement by consulting on the potential to make pre-application consultations a statutory requirement, and launching a new £1.6 million shale support fund over the next two years to build capacity in local authorities dealing with shale applications.

A new Planning Brokerage Service for shale applications will also be created, to provide guidance to developers and local authorities on the planning process in order to speed up decision making. Furthermore, to simplify the complex UK regulatory regime for shale gas, a new Shale Environmental Regulator will also be set up, to act as a single coherent face for the public, mineral planning authorities, and industry.”

In response to the recent campaign on local government reform in Buckinghamshire, David said:

"As you know, the Secretary of State has announced that he is minded to agree to the proposal of a single unitary authority to replace both Buckinghamshire County Council and the four District Councils. Milton Keynes would remain as a separate unitary council in its own right.

I share the view of both the County and District Councils that the present two tier system should be replaced by unitary local government. Money in local government is and will continue to be tight. It should be used to spend on front-line public services rather than on supporting five different hierarchies of officials, personnel systems, maintenance contracts and so on. I have also come increasingly to the view that the current distribution of responsibilities is confusing. For example, the District Council is responsible for collecting our bins, but the County Council for managing and disposing of the waste. The District Council takes planning decisions about new housing, but the County Council has to deal with the consequences for roads, schools and social services.

My approach to this debate has been to try and start with an open mind and judge which of the unitary options, one or two authorities, will best deliver improved public services at least cost to local residents.

Having studied both proposals, and while I respect the case that the District Councils have made for having two authorities, my own preference is for a single unitary Council.

There were a number of reasons that led me to this view.

First, the saving to local residents would be significantly greater with one authority rather than two: £18.2 million a year compared with £10.3 million. That's nearly £8 million extra each year to spend on local services or to return to local residents through a lower rate of Council Tax.

Second, I discussed the proposals with the local NHS organisations who were concerned that social services for children, elderly people and people with disabilities, currently the responsibility of Buckinghamshire County Council, should not be split up as a consequence of local government reform. Indeed, the two NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, the purse holders for local NHS spending, that cover North and South Bucks respectively have decided to federate in order to work more effectively on a County-wide basis.

Third, local business, especially as represented by Bucks Business First and the Bucks Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership, argued strongly for a single unitary council.

A lot of work has been done by both County and District Councils to support the different cases that they have made to the Secretary of State. He made his "minded to" decision having taken account of detailed submissions by both the County and the Districts as well as responses by other organisations and individuals. Both the County and District Councils are now entitled to make their case again to Mr Javid ahead of his final decision. However, I hope that this will be done without spending large amounts of taxpayers' money and I regret the decision by some Councils to spend residents' money on door to door leaflets."

"Coping with terminal illness is distressing and difficult both for the patient and their families. These cases are truly moving and evoke the highest degree of compassion and emotion.

Assisting or encouraging suicide is a criminal offence under Section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 for which the maximum penalty is 14 years imprisonment. I am aware that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) published guidelines primarily concerned with advising the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors about the factors which they need to consider when deciding whether it is in the public interest to prosecute a person for assisting or encouraging another to commit suicide.

The House of Commons has discussed the DPP's guidelines and these were unanimously commended as being a compassionate and measured way of dealing with one of the most emotionally-charged crimes in the statute book. However, they do not change the law; assisting or encouraging suicide has not been decriminalised.

The DPP further clarified the CPS Policy on the likelihood of prosecution of health care professionals, to specify that the relationship of care will be the important aspect and it will be necessary to consider whether the suspect may have been in a position to exert some influence on the victim.

I believe the application of the law should be flexible enough to distinguish the facts and the circumstances of one case from another. To this end, the DPP's policy offers important and sensitive guidance.

I fully accept that suicide, assisting or encouraging suicide, assisted dying and euthanasia are all subjects on which it is entirely possible for people to hold widely different but defensible opinions. This is why the substance of the law in this area is not a matter of party politics but of conscience, and any vote would be a free one should the law in this area ever be altered.

Everyone would agree that terminally ill patients should receive the highest quality palliative support and end-of-life care, and that they and their families should be certain that their end-of-life care will meet all of their needs. With that in mind I welcome the Department of Health's End of Life Care Strategy which is intended to improve access to good quality palliative care and encourage the Government further to develop specialist palliative care and hospice provision.

While I respect the arguments of those who support changes to the law, I fear that such a course would lead to frail and vulnerable people coming under pressure, whether actual or perceived, to end their lives so as not to be a burden on others. The lives of the terminally ill and the frail are of equal value to anyone else’s. They deserve equal protection under the criminal law."

In response to a campaign about hospital car parking fees, David said:

"Patients and their families should not have to deal with unfair parking fees, which is why the Department of Health has published a clear set of principles to allow the public to hold the NHS to account for unfair charges or practices that are in place.

Decisions regarding hospital car parking are taken locally by NHS Trusts and must take account of local circumstances and community interests. The guidance states that charges should be reasonable for the area and concessions should be available to certain groups such as people with disabilities, carers and visitors to relatives who are gravely ill or have an extended hospital stay. Many hospitals and NHS organisations do offer free parking, however the Government is aware of potential unintended consequences of universal free parking, and its possible effects on the number of available spaces.

It is a priority to encourage transparency in the NHS. Each year, the Government publishes information about the costs and provision of car parking at each NHS hospital. The guidance makes clear that NHS organisations should work with patients, staff, visitors, local authorities and public transport providers when planning their parking provisions.

As I mentioned, the Department of Health has published overarching principles regarding hospital parking charges, to which all institutions must abide. I think it is right that such guidelines are available publicly and they can be viewed here.

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the debate on 2 February, but you may wish to see what was discussed. You can view the Hansard record of the debate here."

In response to a campaign about the closure of childcare vouchers, David said:

"I share the belief that childcare is a vital provision that helps children and families across this country. I am glad that the Government is investing more in childcare than ever before.

Tax-Free Childcare will be available to over 2 million households to help with the cost of childcare. Working parents will be able to apply via an online childcare account, and access up to £2,000 per child, or £4,000 for disabled children. Everyone who earns at least £120 per week on average, but doesn't exceed £100,000 per annum, can apply for the scheme, which is fairer and better targeted than vouchers.

The Childcare voucher scheme is only offered by a minority of employers and self-employed parents are unable to access them. Therefore Tax-Free Childcare is fairer and more accessible to parents. Additionally, support will be paid per child rather than per parent, so lone parent households will now get as much support as those with more than one parent.

In addition to Tax-Free Childcare, 30 hours of free childcare per week is available for working parents of three and four year olds in England. There is also now more generous support available for parents who receive support under Universal Credit instead, who are able to claim up to 85 per cent of childcare costs."

"Recently, 23 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) have been announced, in addition to the 27 designated in the last Parliament and over 500 other marine protected areas that already existed in the UK. Together these help fulfil the ambitious pledge to create a ‘Blue Belt’ of protection for our diverse marine wildlife, which now covers over 20 per cent of English waters.

This brings the number of English MCZs to 50, covering an area roughly equivalent to the whole of Wales, or 13 times the size of Greater London. They will protect 45 different types of habitat, geological features and sea creatures.

The new Zones represent the second of three phases of MCZs, the third of which will be put out for consultation soon. They build on further work to protect the marine environment, which includes new consultations on Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for harbour porpoise and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to protect feeding and bathing areas used by iconic seabirds, such as spoonbills in Poole Harbour and puffins on the Northumberland coast.

Additionally, a new marine protected area has also been announced to surround the Pitcairn Islands, and the Blue Belt will be extended around the UK’s 14 Overseas Territories where there is local support and environmental need. It was announced most recently that the Atlantic Ocean’s largest marine reserve is being created around Ascension, covering an area almost the size of the United Kingdom."

"In the referendum, millions of people voted to leave the EU. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill, also known as the Repeal Bill, ensures that the UK does this in the smoothest possible way and this is why I support it. This Bill is not about whether we leave the EU or about the terms of our exit.

The Bill honours the referendum result and provides certainty for businesses. It repeals the European Communities Act 1972, which gives effect to EU law in the UK, and converts all EU law into UK law. It also provides ministers in the UK Government and in the devolved administrations with temporary powers to make corrections to the law. Without it there would be holes in our legal system and chaos for the British people.

The Bill does not, however, allow the Government to bypass Parliament. MPs will still be able to scrutinise any changes introduced by ministers using delegated powers and major policy changes will be introduced as separate Bills. The Queen's Speech announced legislation on agriculture, immigration and trade. Future laws will be made in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The Prime Minister has promised that Parliament will have a say over the final withdrawal deal but it is not within the Government's power to unilaterally extend the negotiation period for further discussions. EU law is clear that the UK will leave the EU in March 2019 whether or not a withdrawal agreement is reached. By voting for this Bill, the UK will leave the EU in a smooth and orderly way. Voting against the Bill would create chaos and uncertainty."

In response to a recent Global Partnership for Education campaign, David said:

"Investing in education is in all our interests, as education provides children with the best route out of poverty, giving them the power to improve their own lives and their country, and ultimately reduce developing countries' reliance on aid. Globally we must push for education for both girls and boys because evidence shows that when a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, it has a strong positive impact - she marries later and has fewer and healthier children, and is more likely to be economically productive. But it is not just about having the chance to go to school, children must be well taught and what they learn must improve their opportunities in life.

Between 2011 and 2015, the Department for International Development supported over 11 million children, including 5.3 million girls, in primary and lower secondary education in developing countries. The Government has committed to helping at least another 11 million children in the poorest countries gain a decent education by 2020. DFID is on track to deliver this, having supported 7.1 million children to gain a decent education between 2015 and 2017. This is a huge investment in a better future for these children."

"Public sector workers deserve to be fairly rewarded for their jobs. The Government has confirmed that it will be moving away from the 1% public sector pay policy, towards a more flexible approach on pay.

However, we still must deal with our country's debts to ensure we have a strong economy to enable us to invest in our public services. The Government will consider each specific workforce to ensure pay is set so that the public sector can continue to both attract and hold on to the excellent staff that support our world-leading public services.

Before Ministers make final decisions on pay awards, they will seek the views of the eight independent Pay Review Bodies. They will report in 2018, at which point the Government will consider their recommendations and announce public sector pay awards for each of those workforces.

Since 2010 the deficit has been cut by two thirds, helping secure our economy for the future. There is more to be done, but thanks to the actions that have been taken, the Government can now apply greater flexibility to public sector pay. Ministers will continue to ensure that the overall package for public sector workers recognises their vital contribution and ensures that they can deliver world class public services, while also being affordable and fair to taxpayers as a whole."

"Climate change is one of the most serious long-term economic threats that this country and this world faces.

The UK is taking a leading role as the world works towards a global deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change to manageable levels.

The year 2015 was important, and the talks in Paris culminated in a global deal, with every country in the world now signed up to play its part in halting climate change. Britain has already been leading the way, and will work towards reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

It's not satisfactory that the dirtiest fossil fuel, coal, is still a major part of our power generation. The UK will be one of the first developed countries to take coal out of the equation, with the recent announcement that all coal-fired power stations where carbon emissions aren't being captured and stored will be closed by 2025. A new, clean energy infrastructure that is fit for the 21st century will be built, based around gas, nuclear and renewables.

Britain is leading by example and the Energy Act works towards decarbonising the UK's energy sector at the lowest possible cost to the consumer. It puts Britain firmly on track to meet the 2050 target to reduce emissions of all greenhouse gases by 80 per cent. Alongside this, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working with major industrial sectors to set out short-term collaborative actions on decarbonisation through its Clean Growth Strategy."

In response to a recent campaign concerning Amendment 7 of the EU Withdrawal Bill, David said:

"The Government has announced that a new Bill will be introduced to implement the withdrawal agreement so that the deal that the UK reaches with the EU can be put directly into UK domestic law. This includes the agreement reached on citizens’ rights, any financial settlement and the implementation period.

This also means that Members of Parliament in the House of Commons and Members of the House of Lords will be able to debate, scrutinise and vote on the final agreement made with the EU. The commitment provided to both Houses of Parliament that they will have a meaningful vote on the final deal will not be affected. This will take place as soon as the deal is agreed and before the European Parliament votes on it. There can be no doubt that Parliament will have a full opportunity to have its say on the final agreement.

The Government has listened and will continue to listen to suggestions from Members of Parliament to improve the legislation relating to the UK’s exit from the EU. Legislators should work together to ensure that the UK can pursue a smooth and stable exit from the EU. This is in everyone’s interest."

In response to a recent campaign on the Local Housing Allowance Freeze, David said:

"Reforms to Housing Benefit are a central part of the Government's plan to create a welfare system that supports the most vulnerable and is fair to taxpayers.

Around £24 billion a year is spent on Housing Benefit to support people with their housing costs, with over £800 million in Discretionary Housing Payments provided to local authorities to help support vulnerable claimants.

In addition, I am assured that around 30 per cent of potential savings from the LHA freeze will be used to create further Targeted Affordability Funding to help tenants in those areas where local housing allowance rates have diverged the most from local rents. I welcome that this has already been used to increase 48 LHA rates by 3 per cent in areas with high rental costs this year. The recent Budget announced additional funding of £40 million in 2018-19 and £85 million in 2019-20. This will increase the housing benefit awards of 140,000 claimants next year, by an average of £280 in areas where affordability pressures are greatest.

Ultimately, however, the key to improving affordability in the private rented sector across England is to build more homes. That is why I am glad that the Housing White Paper, which was published in February this year, outlined an ambitious plan to fix the broken housing market and build the homes Britain needs. This includes getting the right homes built in the right places, speeding up house building, and diversifying the market. I was encouraged that further proposals in the recent Budget mean the Government is on track to increase the housing supply by 300,000 a year."

"The UK strongly supports the principle of family unity, and there are already legal routes for families to be reunited safely. Currently, family reunion policy allows a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them in the United Kingdom and if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Under this policy, over 24,000 family reunion visas have been granted over the last five years. They will remain when the UK leaves the European Union and are not affected by Brexit. Furthermore, children recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as refugees can join close family members here in the UK through the Mandate resettlement scheme. In addition, the Immigration Rules provide for family reunion and allow extended family members to sponsor children where there are serious and compelling circumstances.

I appreciate your view that the Government should expand the scheme; however as I understand it there are no plans to widen the criteria. The criteria are fully compliant with the UK's international obligations, and enable thousands of people each year to be reunited with their families in the UK. Discretionary resettlement schemes are also in place for recognised refugees for whom resettlement is most appropriate. These schemes are operated in partnership with the UNHCR, and include Gateway, Mandate, Children at Risk, and the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme."

"I appreciate your concerns and it is encouraging that the Government recognises the need to increase research into brain tumours to achieve better outcomes for patients and families.

The Department of Health has recently established a Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research. This group brings together clinicians, charities and officials to establish how the level and impact of brain tumour research can be furthered by working alongside funding partners. Under chairmanship of Professor Chris Whitty, chief scientific advisor to the Department of Health, the group met for the third time in May 2017. The group aims to report back to Ministers regarding their findings.

The National Institute for Health Research is also supporting clinical trials to contribute to the development and delivery of brain tumour research. In 2015/16, these trials supported 1,061 patients over 37 brain cancer studies, identifying new research opportunities and areas of clinical need.

Survival rates for cancer are at a record high and we are on track to save an estimated 12,000 more lives a year for people diagnosed between 2011 and 2015. However, it is clear that more can still be done. I am therefore encouraged that the Government is working with clinical partners to deliver a new cancer strategy developed by the independent Cancer Taskforce. This will ensure that by 2020, everyone referred with a suspicion of cancer will receive either a definitive diagnosis or the all-clear within four weeks. This is supported by up to £300 million a year of investment by 2020 to increase diagnostic capacity and a further £112 million to support the skilled personnel and advanced facilities at the forefront of clinical research."

"Breastfeeding is a personal choice for each woman to make and not all mothers are able to or choose to breast feed.

It is widely agreed that breastfeeding delivers significant health benefits to new-born babies, and promotes strong bonds between mother and baby. It provides the child with a perfect balance of vitamins and nutrients, and protects mother and baby from infection and disease. That is why, when possible, the Department of Health encourages exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of a child's life.

Breastfeeding rates do vary nationally and I believe that it is important that local commissioners offer all new mothers the best quality of care. There are now 2,000 more NHS midwives than in 2010 who can provide women with the advice and support needed to breastfeed.

In 2014, the Government established the National Infant Feeding Network with UNICEF UK, which promotes evidence-based practice on infant feeding and early childhood development to deliver improved outcomes for women and their babies.

In line with UNICEF's "Baby Friendly" guidelines, all women should be supported to make informed decisions and to develop a close relationship with their babies soon after birth. Public Health England is working with local services, midwives and health visitors to make this vision a reality, with a particular focus on areas needing urgent support.

Additionally, the Government is implementing the recommendations from the Better Birth report, to improve maternity services in England. This includes the promotion of breastfeeding, as Public Health England and UNICEF UK commission evidence-based interventions to improve breastfeeding rates.

For those who choose not to breastfeed, the Government supports the safe use of infant formula, and the regulations are in place to ensure that all types of infant formula meet the nutritional needs of babies."

"I understand your concern for Christian communities around the world. Where freedom of religion or belief is under attack, other fundamental freedoms often face threat as well. The Government is motivated by deep concern for religious communities in the Middle East; and by a desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with all well-meaning parties. Ministers have stressed the importance of guaranteeing religious freedom when working with the Lebanese Government and the new Government in Iraq. Additionally, the Government is prioritising reaching the most vulnerable people across Syria, including Christians and those who have suffered from the ongoing violence, with its extensive aid programme."

"I am proud that the UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world. Ministers have been clear that they intend it to remain world-leading in the future and, as a minimum, to retain our existing standards of animal welfare once we have left the EU.

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will convert the existing body of direct EU animal welfare laws to become UK laws. Most of these EU laws relate to farmed animals and many were passed after Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) came into effect.

Based on the Animal Welfare Act the Animal Protection Index, maintained by World Animal Protection, rates the UK's formal recognition of animal sentience as grade A. Other Lisbon Treaty signatories such as France, Italy and Spain do not enjoy this rating, having each received grade C.

Article 13 of the TFEU created a qualified obligation on the EU and Member States "to have full regard to the welfare of animals [as they are sentient beings]" when formulating and implementing EU law. The Government has said that it will consider how the 'animal sentience' principle of Article 13 might be explicitly reflected in the UK when we leave the EU.

I therefore believe that existing UK legislation, which provides necessary and appropriate protection for animals in this country, will not be weakened when we leave the EU."

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